Guttersnipes (band)

Guttersnipes are a four piece guitar band from Melbourne, Australia, who formed in 1989.

History

Guttersnipes formed in Melbourne in 1989 and began writing music and playing shows at various inner city venues. The band wrote original songs that featured distorted and fast-paced melodies. Their sound was generically similar to bands such as Squirrelbait, Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr, while containing tinges of Australian punk and garage influences.

The band formed an allegiance with Melbourne-based Au Go Go Records in 1990, releasing their debut single "It's Over" on the label in early 1991. They then signed a multipe-record deal with the label, but only issued two more records on Au Go Go, "Blurred" in 1991 and "Face the Day" in 1996. The band also released quite a number of tracks on various compilations.

Live shows

Guttersnipes played many live shows around Australia throughout the 1990s, mostly in the eastern states of Australia and Tasmania.

In the early 90's, they formed a trio of bands with The Throwaways (Australian Band) and Spiderbait that organised shows under the moniker "Tell 'em it's Healthy". This was an attempt on the part of these bands to bypass what they saw as a moribund music industry establishment, and combine crowds so that venues would see the combination as a worthwhile bill. The tactic proved successful, and the "Tell 'em it's Healthy" shows frequently outsold those of the more established headline acts of the time.

Through out the 90's, the Guttersnipes played with a range of U.S. and European bands touring Australia, including Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, The Lemonheads, Ween, Buffalo Tom, L7 and Bob Mould. They also played with many Australian acts, including Cosmic Psychos, The Beasts of Bourbon, The Hard Ons, The Splatterheads, Magic Dirt, Regurgitator, Christbait, Green Beaver, Screamfeeder, You Am I, Something for Kate, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists and many others. They also played a number of festivals, including the Meredith Music Festival in 1991 and 1992.

The Guttersnipes have not officially disbanded, although they are no longer a professional working band. They have been known to play the occasional show in Melbourne, but these have been rare since 2001.

Members

Andrew Rice - Guitar, Vocals
Mark Hurst - Drums
Michael McManus - Bass
Paul Brockhoff - Guitar, Vocals

Discography

Guttersnipes Releases

"Face The Day CDEP" (Au Go Go, year 1996, ANDA 201)
Face the Day - Pyromania - Try - Centrifugal Force

"It's Over 7" (Au Go Go, 1990, ANDA 129)
It's Over - Tide - How Can I?

"Blurred 10"/CDEP" (Au Go Go, year 1991, ANDA 144)
Never - Anything - You - No One - Sister - Just Can't See - Work - Blurred - It's Over (CD Only) - Tide (CD Only) - How Can I? (CD Only)

Split Singles

"Hog / Cosmic Psychos / Guttersnipes / Empty Set with Ron Asheton Split 7"," came with Lemon Fanzine issue 15(1992?)

Guttersnipes track: Elephant Beer

Compilations

"Teeth 10" (Au-Go-Go, 1991, ANDA 140) (Comp. also featuring The Meanies, Throwaways and Spiderbait)
- Threw it all away

"Wally's Wild Weekend" Live Compilation LP/CD (Au-Go-Go, 1991, ANDA 141) (Comp. also featuring Hoss (band), The Throwaways (Australian Band), The Meanies, Spiderbait, Nursery Crimes, Unclean Spirits)
- Crossroads - Sister

"Crack in the Sun or Fade in the Shade" (Roo-Art, 1992, ?) (Comp. also featuring Screamfeeder, The Meanies, Fridge, Massappeal, Nursery Crimes, Rootbeer, Seaweed Goorillas, Tumbleweed (band), Supergrass, Daisygrinders, You Am I and Headache)
- Pyromania

"RRR Reel to Real" (1993?)
- Face the Day

"Totally Wireless, The Triple J Acoustic Sessions"- Various Artists (Polygram Australia, 1993) (Comp. also featuring Tex, Don and Charlie; Glide; You Am I; The drunk, the monk and the spunk; Smudge; Daisychains; Blindman's Holiday; Blackeyed Susans; The Madisons; Tiddas; My Friend the Chocolate Cake; Ed Kuepper & Mark Dawson; Evan Dando; Stephen Cummings & Dave Graney; The Plums)
- Adrift

References

* Au Go Go Records (2002). [http://www.augogo.com/discnam.html Au Go Go Discography by Artist] . Retrieved Apr. 18, 2007.

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/gutternipesmelb Guttersnipes page]
* [http://www.grunnenrocks.nl/bands/g/guttersnipes.htm Grunnen Rocks listing]

See also

Punk rock in Australia